Page 11 of The Kingdom of Eternal Ice
Shayan looks more than a little annoyed that I decide not to ride next to him, but he gives in eventually. Meanwhile, I mount the white horse the warriors prepared for me. It’s been a while since I went out for a ride, but I should be fine.
Once we set off, I realize Shayan was right. There was no way we could have passed here with our carriages. It looks like there had been a storm and some rocks had crashed onto the road. We barely make it through on our horses, and Shayan eventually takes the rein of my horse to carefully lead me through the dangerous terrain, before returning and doing the same with Simin.
Our ride is peaceful until lunchtime. More and more the landscape is changing. We are past the sand deserts and stone deserts, our path leading us over mountain ridges now. We pass the border of the Everlasting Desert, the guards only tossing us a few wary glances while we pass through, before we enter no-man’s land. It’s getting colder, but at the same time the vegetation changes too. The rich green lush oases with their fruit trees in between the deserts are behind us now, so are the various types of cactus plants. The vegetation here is somewhat simpler than what I’m used to in our oases, but it still looks pretty. Moss, cushion plants and grassland are everywhere, before we descend again and find ourselves in a needle tree forest. It’s the first time for me to actually see a forest, and I can only watch in awe at the birds and little animals shuffling around.
Soon, however, we are met by the first snowflakes. “Snow,” Simin whispers in awe. “I’ve seen pictures…”
“Seeing it for yourself is different,” I agree.
“It will get colder soon,” Shayan tells us. “If you are cold, tell me. I have prepared a few blankets.”
I’m already starting to feel cold, but thanks to the warmth my horse emits it’s manageable, and I know it’s only getting worse from now on. I want to hang in there for as long as possible, and allow my body to adapt.
The temperature drops more and more the further down we descend from the mountain, which is mind boggling. It should be warmer down here than on a mountain, but I assume that’s what the Kingdom of Eternal Ice is about; snow and cold. Soon the snowflakes get thicker, covering us in white, before we make it to another needle forest. Once out of it, Shayan stops to hand both me and Simin a blanket.
He looks at me with a frown. “You are shivering,” he chastises. “I remember I asked you to tell me if you were cold.”
I feel somewhat flustered. “I’m sorry, I wanted to give my body the chance to adapt first.”
“Let’s continue,” he says. “We’ll pass the border to the Kingdom of Eternal Ice soon and will be in the safety of the kingdom. I don’t feel safe resting in no-man’s land.”
We follow his lead again. To my relief the snow has stopped, but when we finally leave the forest, I’m met with an image I could have never have imagined in my wildest dreams. “Stop,” I tell the group and ride ahead onto the edge of the forest, which ends on top of a hill. In front of me everything is white, just white. The sun is coming out, and the snow glitters slightly. In the far distance I can see a village with steam coming out of the chimneys. To the left there is another forest, covered in thick snow, but in front of us it’s just a desert made of snow.
“I have never seen anything like this,” I say, my eyes wide. “You have been here before, General Shayan, am I right?”
He nods. “It’s truly breathtaking the first time you see it.”
“It’s cold, too,” Simin whispers from behind us.
I smile at her words. “Let’s continue, then.”
Shayan continues to lead us through the snow, picking up the pace now, as the path in front of us is free of any obstacles. Before we can reach the small village, I saw from the distance, we find ourselves at the borders, finally. There is a huge number of guards there, patrolling the whole area, which makes sense seeing how there is such a vast snow desert between them and our borders. It’s a vulnerable spot.
“Welcome, Princess of the Desert,” a man bows at us with a smile, the other guards following his example.
“Thank you,” I say, not sure how else to respond. I didn’t expect them to talk to me or even look at me.
The man’s eyes gloss over and soon I can see a man and a woman approaching us. The man isn’t wearing a shirt, which should make me feel embarrassed, but all I can think about is how he doesn’t seem cold at all. Next to him there is a female warrior clad in athletic clothes and pants - another unusual sight for me - and with them is a huge wolf.
“Not sure about letting so many men enter,” the shirtless man grins and winks at me and Simin. “But these two beautiful flowers may come and stay for as long as they like.”
The woman elbows him.
“Just kidding,” the man laughs. “I don’t mind some pretty men either. Why choose?”
“Forgive him, Your Highness,” the female warrior looks at me and bows. She clears her throat. “Princess Azadeh,” the woman greets me with a warm smile, “and General Shayan. We are here to officially welcome you to the Kingdom of Eternal Ice.”
Shayan descends his horse and approaches her, shaking her hand. “Gamma Ita,” he smiles.
“It’s a pleasure to see you again.”
“Likewise,” she smiles at me when she turns her head. “We are beyond excited to host you here, Princess. King Gillean sent us here in person to make sure you will arrive safely, and that you have all you need.”
“Thank you so much, Gamma Ita,” I say, relieved that Shayan helped me study the wolves’ hierarchy and their history. This is not what I expected at all. I didn’t expect such a kind and warm welcome, and certainly not a personal guard from King Gillean.
She seems to have sensed my curiosity as she proceeds to introduce her two companions. “These are two of our elite warriors,” she tells us and points at the shirtless man with his wild dark-brown hair. “Tynan here will accompany us in his human form. And Royan-'' She points at the wolf who has stopped further away from us. My eyes widen at the sight. He is bigger than any wolf I’ve ever seen, he has to be a werewolf. I can see Simin’s body tensing, though her eyes still stare at the creature in curiosity. “Royan will stay in his wolf form to protect us further.” She grins. “He will be happy to have the attention of two unmated females on him.”
I blush a little. “I apologize, I didn’t mean to stare,” I stutter, feeling more than a little awkward at suddenly being forced to interact with someone.
